Conveyer.



To all urli-mn Lt muy concern.:

"devices being UNITED STATES n tireur ermee.

ALBERT L. nArNEs, or roar FAIRFIELD, MAINE.

CGNVEYER Specification of Lettere Patent.

Patented May 28, 1907.

Application filed DOember 3,1906. Serial No. 346,019.

Be it known that i, ALBERT L. HAINES, a citizen olthe United States, residing at Fort Fairfield, in the county oi Aroostook and State voi Maine, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Conveyers, oi

.which the following is a specilicntion, reference being had to the accompanying drawings. i

My invention relates to improvements in conveying apparatus, and particularly to conveyors for carrying potatoes, apples, turL nips and like produce, which is subject to being bruised, cut and otherwise damaged in the handling thereof.

An object oi my invention is to provide a conveyer of the class just described which will he adapted to transport the produce u ward'into storage bins or barnels above t le 'level of thi` ho )per, or downward into a basementor cellar )elow the groumhlsvel, or into barrels or other receptacles resting on the ground. y

Anotherobjeetis to ada )t a coiiveyerof this class for o )eration hy eitlier power or hand.

Other o )jects and ieatrues of my invention will be brought out in the description which follows.

In the drawings illustrating the principle of my invention and the best Inode now known to me of applying that principle, Figure -1 shows my new conveyer 1n side elevation;

Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal sectional view; and Fig. 3 is a plan view, the hoisting shown removed for clearness. Similar re rence characters refer to similar.. arts throughout the several views.

Illie apparatus comprises three principal parts, that is to say, a hopper, a swinging conveyenchute with its connected hoisting devices therefor, andthe mechanism for transferring the material from the hopper alongrxthe eonveyer-chute to the receptac The opper A is provided with the` legs B suitably secured to the side-pieces n each'of which 1s rovided at its rear end with a cas ter a to acilitate the moving of the appara tus from one place to another. The rear end' ofthe hopper A rests `upon a cross-piece o which in turn is supported by the side-,pieces fn.. Near the rear end. of the hop r A. is mounted a shaft O upon which free y swing the sides G of the conveyer-chute, these sides being held together"to`"form a strong structure by rods Oi the ends of which are threaded to receive nuts, as shown in Figs. 1 and '2, upon the inside and outside of the conveyer-chute.

Upon the front ends of the side-pieces n is constructed a platform V for the reception of 6o .y

an engine or other suitable motor (not shown) which will drive the pulley U fast upon one end ofthe shaft .l which carries the sprockets K. The latter mesh, each with an endless sprocket-chain L and drive said chains, each of which passes over a guidepulley Q mounted free to rotate upon vthe shaft G, and over the sprockets P loosely mounted upon the shaft p which is adjustably mounted in. the free end of the conveyer-chute. The end of each side-G of the conveyerechute is formed with a slot yq through which rojects one end of the shaft `pmounted in a lia err formed with a slots. hrough each of t e latterl passes a short stub shaft w upon each of which is mountedat each side oi the conveyer-chute a ropW. which may be swung into .the dotted ine sition shown in Fig.' l, when notv need to assist in supporting the free end of thecon- 18 veyer-chute. By moving the h ers vr thee. degree of slackness of the chains lmay b varied by varying the position of the shaftfp and ofthe s rockets P carried thereby.

To the c ains L are secured theends of the cross-bars or lap M which serve tofs'upport the merchan 'se its. passage through the conveyor-chute from the hopper to the rece tacles. At intervals there are interposed ong slats N between the cross? bars M', and these slats N'Tare'not' only longer than'the cross-bars M but are'higher, as I s shown 'in Fig. 2, and are provided at each eindV with a roller R which rides upon a track S. The inner ends of the tracks S are cur-ved, as is shown at T in Fig. 2, and this curvature adapts the tracks for use, when. the conve er-chute' is swun downward at ,v a low angle. The slats N yl their height y serve to retain 4the produce, when thecon- 'ro' veyer-chute 'is swung into the dotted line osition of Fig. 1 or the full line osition of liigs. 1 and 2. Tliesliort length'o the cross-H bars M allows them to sag under the weight' of the material without coming-in contactm5 with the tracks S. .Y y

To raise the conveyer-ehute, the following mechanism is employed: Rotatably mount-- ed in the posts C is windlass-drum F around which is Wound a rope l) one end of `vhich is fastened to the conveyer-chute. Thedrum is provided with a ratchet c and with the arms d and pivotally mounted in one of the posts C is a pawl Z `which co-acts with the teeth of the ratchet c in the usual manner to lock the'drum F.

.f If i't be desired to drive the shaft J by hand poiver, there may be mounted .between the posts C a shaft D one end of which projects; and on this projecting end is mounted. a

:sprocket E connected by chain e with the sprocket l and driven by the crank-arm H.

The hop er A is provided with tracks Si: for the ro ers R to travel upon; and near thev top of the hopper are mounted the rails X which hold the rollers R down upon the track and maintain the chains in a horizontal tracks mounted in said hopper; and tracks.

mountedin said conveyer-chute anddisconnected from the tracks mounted in said hopper, the ends of the tracks in said. conveyerchute which are opposed to the ends ofthe tracks in said hopper being curved, and said devices riding on said tracks.

2. The combination with a hopper; 'of a conveyer-chute pivotally connected therewith; a pair of endless chains which pass from said hopper to said conve'yer-chute;

-mea'ns for driving said chains; produce-supporting devices which connect said chains; tracks mounted in said hopper and conveyerchute, said devices riding on said tracks; and barsextending parallel to the tracks in said hopper,. the ends of said devices passing between said. bars and hopper tracks and being held u on said tracks by said bars.

3, he combination with a hopper, of a conveyer-ohute leading theretrom; a pair of endless chains in vsaid conveyer-'chute mechanism for driving said chains; cross-bars the ends of which are connected to said chains; slats connected to said chains at intervals between said cross-bars, said slats being anism for driving said chains; cross-bers the ends of which are connected to said chains; slats connected to said chains at intervals between said cross-bars, said slats being longer than said cross-bars; and means mounted in said conveyer-chute i'or supporting the ends of said slats, said means being separated from each other by a distance greater than the length oiu said cross-bars, whereby said cross-bars ma sag between said means without striking t is same.

5. A conveyer made up of a hopper; a conveyer-chute pivotally connected therewith; mechanism for swinging said conveyer-chute about said hopper; a pair ci endless `ychains which' ass from said hopper to said conveyer-c utc; mechanism lor driving said chains; cross-bars connected to said chains, said cross-bars servin to hold the material; slats connected to sai( chains and interposed at intervals between said cross-bars; and tracks for supporting the ends of said slats.

. A conveyer made up of a hopper; a conveyer-chute leading therefrom; a air of endless chains which pass from sai( hopper to said conveyer-chute; mechanism for driving said chains; cross-bars connected to said chains; and slats connected to said chains and interposed between said cross-bars at intervals, said slats being higher than and at least equal inlength to said cross-bars to prevent the movement of the material when the conveyer-chute is inclined to the horizontal.

7. The combination of a conveyer-chute; a pair of endless chains mounted therein;

mechanism for driving said chains; cross-I bai's the ends of which are connected to saiil chains, said cross-bars servirle" to sup ort the material; and slats connectedD to sai( chains and interposed at intervals between said cross-bars, said slats being higher than and at least equal in length to said cross-bars to hold the material against movement when said conveyor-chute is inclined at an angley to the horizontal.

in. 'testimony whereof l have hereunto set my hand in the 'presence of two witnesses at said Fort Fairfield this twenty-seventh da); of November, A. D. 1906.

ALBERT L. HAINES. Witnesses:

Hansna'r T. Pawnee, Hman D. STEVENS.

IOO 

